Minnesota reopens free testing sites as delta variant surges

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota officials are reopening four free coronavirus testing sites this week as circulation of the highly contagious delta variant renews demand for increased testing.

Reopened sites include St. Paul, Bloomington, and St. Cloud. The increase in testing locations comes as virus cases continue to grow across the state and hospitals near full capacity.

St. Louis County health officials and healthcare workers said Tuesday that hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 are surging in the region.

The vast majority of cases are in people who haven’t been vaccinated.